The Defiants
by Reber02
Summary: Sequal to A Killer In Me. Takes place after GT. Earth has been destroyed and the only hope for the rest of the Universe lies with Vegeta and the boys.
1. Prologue

Written by Annabell  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any DBZ characters. Yadda…yadda…yadda.  
  
Warning: Dark, Extreme Violence  
  
Archive: Stormy, Otherwise just ask.  
  
  
  
1.1 All my will  
  
All my strength  
  
Rip it out  
  
Start again  
  
Defy You. Lyrics by the Offspring  
  
  
  
  
  
The Defiants  
  
Prologue  
  
Outside of time and space, a child slept. This was no ordinary child. Too many years lay behind him for him be as young as he seemed; yet he retained the innocence of a child. This child had saved the universe many times, fearlessly facing powerful evils that sought to destroy him. Finally, after facing the last evil, he was granted eternal rest, and became the keeper of the legendary Dragonballs.  
  
He also had a tail.  
  
Nor was he alone. His companion was the eternal dragon Shenlong. The dragon that would appear and grant a wish to the person who was brave enough to gather the Dragonballs.  
  
As the child slept, he dreamed. The dreams were vague, distorted. Being unaffected by time, the sequences were disjointed and hazy.  
  
Darkness, overwhelming and complete was rushing toward them.  
  
"Too strong, they're too strong!"  
  
The child stirred uneasily. He had faced darkness, but this was no ordinary darkness. It wasn't anything like he had faced before. This was complete and total absence of light, of life. It swallowed all light as it rushed towards them like an immeasurable tidal wave. The darkness was not alive, yet it was aware, it was knowing.  
  
And it hated.  
  
"Vegeta, grab my hand, now!"  
  
"Father! No!"  
  
Voices? How long had it been since the child had heard a living voice? Time no longer mattered to him, but the voices brought back a myriad of memories, including that of time. The voices were familiar, but not the urgency, the desperation that was conveyed with the sound. They weren't talking to him, but to someone else.  
  
They're gone! Oh Kami, they are all gone!  
  
Grief. The voices conveyed grief beyond comprehension. The child's eyebrows drew together in pain. The grief was unbearable, desperate. He longed to comfort the speakers, make things right. He knew he had the power to do so, but he also knew that power could not be used like that anymore.  
  
The darkness came on and on, swallowing life and light. The child flinched, sensing it was overwhelming and complete. He shook his head, wanting to fight it, to destroy that which hated the light. But it was beyond him. He could feel coming closer and closer. He could feel the dragon stirring beneath him, rousing at last.  
  
But just before the darkness reached out to swallow them, a glimmer of light appeared. It was so faint it rivaled that of starlight. It was nearly impossible to see if one were to look directly at it. But that faintest of lights made the darkness…hesitate.  
  
It might have taken the same amount of time for an electron to make one circuit of an atom before the darkness came on again. But that defiant bit of light grew brighter, and the child could sense the faintest bit of personality in that light. It was familiar, and there was a name that was associated with the light.  
  
2 Vegeta  
  
A small thrill of excitement shot down the child's spine. And for the first time in (minutes? Hours? Years?) the child spoke.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
'The enemy of life' was the reply.  
  
Confusion. "The enemy of life?"  
  
'That which has not been born cannot be alive. Yet it hates that which is alive and seeks to destroy it.'  
  
"Why?"  
  
'It hates life, yet it envies it, because those that are alive can become more. It cannot, therefore it feels threatened and seeks to destroy all that is alive.'  
  
The child thought hard on that. The spark of light glowed brighter, defying the dark. Behind it were smaller lights, yet it was the brightest one that held the darkness at bay. "He stands alone against it?"  
  
'There is no one that can help. He fights alone."  
  
The light flared and the darkness flinched, only to return deeper and blacker than before, determined to extinguish that defiant glow.  
  
The child stirred in his sleep once more. Determination. "I will help him."  
  
'You cannot.'  
  
"He needs me. I will help him."  
  
'If you go back, the power of the Dragonballs will be of no help to you. You will be what you were before.'  
  
"That's fine."  
  
'Are you sure? You promised to guard the Dragonballs.' It was a rebuke.  
  
"The Dragonballs are safe, but my friends and home are not. I wish to help them," the child replied stubbornly.  
  
Sigh. 'Very well.'  
  
The child woke up… as an adult.  
  
TBC 


	2. Welcome back, Goku

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters.  
  
Warnings: Angst, violence  
  
Archive: Exclusively at Stormy's page  
  
  
  
1 You cannot stop us  
  
You cannot bring us down  
  
Never give up  
  
We go on and on  
  
You'll never break us  
  
Never bring us down  
  
We are alive!  
  
Defy You. By the Offspring  
  
  
  
  
  
The Defiants  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Goku woke up flat on his back on Snake Way.  
  
The clouds of Hell were roiling endlessly beneath the mystic Path as he levered himself up on his elbows to look around. Wide-eyed, he blinked in confusion, wondering how he ended up there. He had meant to go directly to Earth.  
  
Standing up, his tail swayed from side to side as he looked down one direction of the Path, then the other. The way to the tail of Snake Way used to lead to King Kai's planet. Goku smiled fondly as he remembered the weird but intense training he had been subjected to. But now the tiny planet was gone, blown to bits when Cell had self-destructed, killing King Kai, Goku (again) Gregory and Bubbles. Goku had apologized to King Kai over and over again, but he suspected that the North Kai had never really forgiven him.  
  
At the head of the Path was Lord Enma's Hall, the home of the Judge of the Dead. Goku had visited with him often in the past. After being dead a couple of times, he had developed a kind of attachment to the giant Judge. Seeing that he was fairly close, he lifted off Snake Way and glided leisurely to Enma's domain.  
  
He arrived at the side door and stepped in, not calling attention to himself as he looked around. The Judgment Halls were curiously empty. A short line of cloud-like spirits that ended at the immense desk stretched out the door a little ways, then stopped. The little blue guys with horns and wearing business suits were milling aimlessly. Goku had always thought of them as 'worker bees' because they reminded him of bees buzzing around a hive. A mental picture of Lord Enma as a queen bee nearly sent Goku into a fit of laughter. Smiling, he stepped further into the Enma's domain.  
  
The tall Saiyan scanned the room; taking in Enma's huge desk, and behind it was Enma himself, judging the few spirits in front of him. Stacks of paper work cluttered the desk more than usual. It was actually hard to see the giant Judge behind them. He was starting to approach Enma to say hi, when his attention was drawn to the other side of the Hall by unexpectedly familiar voices. Looking, he saw Gohan and Piccolo standing together, apparently deep in discussion.  
  
Piccolo looked exactly the same from when Goku had last seen him. He was still wearing his usual purple outfit and white cape and turban. And he was still dead, as evidenced by the golden halo that floated above his head.  
  
In contrast, Gohan looked older, even though he wasn't wearing his glasses. His black hair was a little longer and not as severely cut. He was wearing a loose, dark blue gi, much like the one Goku himself had worn so long ago, except in Vegeta's favorite color. There was an orange sash tied at his waist. But the main difference was his dark eyes. They burned with haunted look of someone who has seen too much for his age. Gohan's shoulders were slumped, like he was carrying the weight of the world on them. Goku frowned, cocking his head to one side as he noticed that there was no halo over his son's head.  
  
Gohan was still alive.  
  
Wondering why his not-dead son was hanging out in the Halls of the Dead, Goku focused his acute hearing on them and their conversation.  
  
"Ok, thanks for trying Piccolo. I'll get this to Vegeta and hopefully it will help," Gohan was saying. He was shuffling through a sheaf of papers, and then stuffed them back into order. He looked up at his former mentor with a thin, tired smile.  
  
"I hope so too. How's he doing?" Piccolo asked in an uncharacteristic show of interest in the Saiyan prince.  
  
Gohan shrugged. "I haven't seen him for a few days, but you know Vegeta," he shrugged again.  
  
Nodding in complete understanding, Piccolo grinned. "Are Goten and Trunks still in trouble with him?"  
  
"He threatened to make them his liaisons between himself and the galactic governments after that last stunt they pulled." Gohan grinned, a real smile for the first time. "Which isn't too hard, if you think about it. All it means is that they get to officially ignore them on his behalf."  
  
Glad he was able to get Gohan to even briefly forget his troubles, Piccolo reluctantly brought up another sore subject. "There is a rumor going around that some of the governments are actually thinking about trying to negotiate with the enemy. Is it true?"  
  
Nodding with a grimace of extreme distaste, Gohan said, "Yes, some people think that if they reach an agreement with those monsters, that they will be spared."  
  
"Fools," Piccolo snorted in contempt. "They spare nothing as this empty halls of the dead can testify to." He gestured at the ridiculously small line beside them, and then shrugged. "Oh well. Tell Vegeta not to get too impatient. Hell is a big place, and it takes time to find the right information. But someone down there knows what we need to know. Don't worry kid; I think we're getting close. Wish him luck for me," Piccolo said fondly and reached out to clasp hands with Gohan. Then turning away, his eyes widened as he saw Goku standing there, watching them.  
  
"I will," Gohan said was saying, and he looked at Piccolo, puzzled as to what had caught the Nameckian's attention. Looking around, his own eyes grew wide, and his hands fell limply to his sides.  
  
Goku waved cheerfully. "Hey guys, how's it going?"  
  
Both the demi-Saiyan and the Nameckian were stunned. Gohan's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "Dad?" he croaked.  
  
Piccolo recovered his wits faster than Gohan. "Goku, what are you doing here?" he asked gruffly. "Do you still have the Dragonballs?" A small hope flared in their eyes, but was quickly quashed by Goku's answer.  
  
"No, I gave them up to be here. I heard there is some trouble and I thought you guys might need some help."  
  
Gohan and Piccolo looked at each other. Gohan, trying to recover, shook himself. "Um, yeah. Ok. Uh, Dad, where have you been for all these years?" the demi-Saiyan asked, trying to grab hold of the situation.  
  
Goku scratched the back of his head, thinking. "Sleeping, I think," he said. "Years you said?" Seeing the two of them nod, he asked, "How many?"  
  
Piccolo raised one of his antennas. "You've been gone for over seven years."  
  
"Wow, it sure didn't seem that long," Goku observed. "So what's wrong?"  
  
Gohan drew a deep breath, rubbing his free hand over his face then through his black hair. "It's a long story Dad," he said finally. "And I don't think here is the place to tell it." He looked around, almost as if he were at a loss.  
  
Piccolo abruptly frowned as a mental summons broke into his awareness. He spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I have to get going back to Hell. Radditz thinks he may have found something useful. Say hi to Trunks and Goten for me, Gohan. Good to see you again, Goku." He nodded at the Saiyan fighter.  
  
"Bye, Piccolo," Goku waved and with a final nod at Gohan, the Nameckian left without looking back, his cape billowing behind him.  
  
Gohan watched until Piccolo exited out a side door, then almost reluctantly turned back to Goku. "C'mon Dad. Let's get going. I have to get this sorted out before Vegeta gets back." He waved the sheaf of papers and started walking to a door on the backside of the Halls, behind Enma's desk.  
  
Goku followed, wondering like mad what was going on. He was tempted to ask, but knew that Gohan would explain when he was ready. When they got outside the Halls, Gohan took to the air, keeping his gaze fixed firmly forward, trying to figure out how to tell his father everything that had happened during the past seven years.  
  
They flew in silence for a while, each lost in his owns thoughts. Finally, Gohan drew a deep breath and fell back a little until he was next to Goku, who was frowning in puzzlement as he looked around. "This isn't the way to Earth," he said.  
  
Gohan shook his head; a bitter pain slid across his features, then was gone. "No, it isn't," he said flatly. "We are going to Kaio-shin's planet, where you fought Buu."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because the Earth doesn't exist anymore. Or rather it does, but only as a barren, useless chunk of rock."  
  
"What?" Goku stumbled, nearly falling out of the air. "What happened, Gohan?" he asked, facing his eldest son full on, forcing Gohan to come to a stop, hovering in the air.  
  
Gohan bit his lip, and looked down. Drawing a deep breath, he retreated into himself, mentally steeling himself from the images that would come with the words. "It was barely six months after you left with the Eternal Dragon," Gohan started, his black eyes hard as he turned away from Goku and stared at nothing, but seeing the past as vividly as if it was right there in front of them. "We had just begun to settle down and were looking forward to raising our families in peace. Pan was starting the new school year, and Videl was pregnant again." Despite his efforts, Gohan's face lit softly with the remembered joy of that simpler time. But the expression was gone even before it could fully be realized, buried by years of bitterness.  
  
"But then Dende got a frantic call for help from the Elder on New Nameck. There was something terrible happening there. Dende didn't know what exactly it was, but it scared him, badly. So he asked us to go with him to help his people. By this time, Vegeta was bored and I think he was looking for an excuse to fight something. Of course Vegeta made Trunks and Goten go as well. He said that they needed to get off their butts and do some fighting. I'm not sure why I felt like I should have gone, but I did. Mostly it was because I remembered how the Nameckians helped us out with the Majin Buu incident, and figured that we owed them. Videl didn't want me to go, but she didn't say anything. Pan wanted to come, because Trunks was going, but I said no. She had to go to school. You should have seen the tantrum she threw." Gohan smiled, then it faded once again. "So Vegeta, Trunks, Goten and myself all packed up in one of the Capsule Corp spaceships with Dende and blasted off for New Nameck."  
  
Goku listened quietly, his eyes forward as the tale unfolded. He wanted to know what had happened, but didn't push. Gohan would tell him in his own time.  
  
Drifting forward once more with Goku beside him, Gohan went on. "It only took two days to get there with the new fastdrive system Dr. Briefs had created, but still it was too late. By the time we arrived, the planet had already been stripped and scorched."  
  
"What?" Goku asked, puzzled.  
  
"When the planet was attacked, the first thing that happened was each and every Nameckian had been brutally dissected. After that, they took all the minerals out of the planet, anything that was of any use whatsoever. Metals mostly. After that, they opened up with their weapons and completely incinerated what was left of the planet's surface, rendering it inhospitable for any forms of life. Then they left, leaving a dead, barren ball in space."  
  
"No," Goku choked in horror.  
  
Gohan nodded, his expression grim. "Dende was hysterical. Trunks and Vegeta tried everything they could think of to find out who could do such a thing. None of us had sensed anything. They ran scan after scan, looking for anything that would tell us what we were hunting." Gohan closed his eyes, fighting to back the tears that even seven years could not erase. "Then the call came from Bulma."  
  
Goku could feel an icy cold begin to knot his stomach. He had a sickening feeling he knew what was coming.  
  
Drawing another deep breath, forcing the bitter words out, the young demi- Saiyan went on. "What had destroyed New Nameck was now attacking the Earth. Your Instant Transmission technique would have been very handy at that point, Dad. But none of us knew how to do it, so we were forced to travel the old-fashioned way. We headed back as fast as possible, nearly burning out our engines in the process. I thought I was going to explode from sheer frustration at being forced to just sit there and wait. I don't know how I was able to keep myself restrained. I don't know how any of us did, as a matter of fact. All I remember was hoping, praying really, that we would get there on time. We made it back to Earth in little over a day, our engines were overheating even as we entered Earth's solar system. But it was too late."  
  
"No," Goku said in effectual denial. He hadn't been there to help. If he had been there…  
  
Oblivious to his father's self-recriminations, the demi-Saiyan didn't hear. He was too caught up in the memories. "They had taken the population and were starting to strip the Earth." Bitter anger flooded through Gohan, undiminished even now. "The people of Earth hadn't stood a chance, not without us Saiyans. We approached the planet, trying to make contact, but of course there was no one left. They were all gone. Mom, Bulma, Bra, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar, Tien, Chautzu, Krillen, 18, Marron, Pan, Videl." Gohan recited relentlessly, his voice growing harsher and harsher. When he reached Pan and Videl, he was rasping. Nearly sobbing.  
  
Goku shook his head at each name, trying almost desperately to deny the undeniable.  
  
They're gone! Oh Kami, they are all gone!  
  
Drawing in a breath, and the tears, Gohan wiped a shaking hand over his black eyes. "I don't remember exactly what happened after that very clearly. I don't think I was too sane at that point. None of us thought, we just blindly attacked with everything we had, holding nothing back. There was nothing to hold back for. The only one who could match up to them was Vegeta. Not even Gotenks at level three could last long against those monsters." And that was the horrifying truth. Even with the grief-fueled rage to power them; their enemies were superior in numbers, power and stamina.  
  
Goku's fists were clenched in rage, and deep, raw pain. Guilt coursed though him. Because now there were no Dragonballs with which to bring the Earth back. And with New Nameck gone, all of the sets of Dragonballs were gone from the universe. Whoever had attacked both the planets knew exactly what they were doing.  
  
The unsuspecting Saiyans had been drawn away, leaving the Earth defenseless. No wonder Gohan had felt such guilt, such pain. Guilt that he had not been there, guilt that he still lived while his loved ones were gone. Soul-wrenching agony at being separated from his mate, and his children. Goku's tender heart ached horribly for his son's loss, and his own.  
  
Oblivious to his father's thoughts, Gohan brought himself under control. Shaking his head, he continued, "I don't know how long we fought. It could have been hours, or maybe even days. All of us were mad with pain and rage. Time, injuries and fatigue, they didn't mean anything to us. We knew we were going to die, in fact I know I was counting on it. Because after I died maybe I would get to see Videl and Pan again." Gohan's voice grew wistful, longing. "But we couldn't die. Not yet. We still had to destroy those monsters."  
  
"What monsters," Goku asked, staring at Gohan earnestly, his fists were still clenched.  
  
Looking deliberately at his father, Gohan said in a flat tone. "Bio- mechanical monsters, the like that has never been seen before in this part of the galaxy. Created by the artificial intelligences from Polaner to take over and twist anything alive. They then destroy planets that are able to support life. They are called Furies." Gohan took a deep breath. This was the worst part of all. "They turn the inhabitants of each planet they attack into mechanical terrors like themselves."(1)  
  
Goku went white. They had known about the horror that was now Polaner, former home of the Tsufuru-jin. But he had never imagined that those insane A.I.s would come looking for them. He cursed his own lack of foresight.  
  
Nodding, Gohan continued. "That's why there is so few dead back there at Lord Emna's. The inhabitants of the worlds that are attacked aren't killed. They are turned into Furies. Somewhere buried under that metal and programming, each person is still alive, in some way."  
  
Goku thought he was going to be sick. "Do you mean that Chi-Chi, Bulma, Krillen, all of them are still alive?"  
  
Shuddering, Gohan shook his head. "God, I hope not, but I don't know. Chances are that they are dead, killed by Vegeta or one of us when we fought them on Earth. At least I pray that's the case. We can't sense if they are still alive or not. And even though Enma is cooperating, we can't do a consensus in Heaven and find out if they are there."  
  
"And you can't tell if you see them?" Goku asked, trying to get past the horror.  
  
"Being made of that reflective alloy invented by the Tsufuru-jin, we can't sense their ki. And thanks to the A.I.s, any sort of technology that we can come up with to detect them is suspect. They can take over any computer and twist it to their own needs. We found that out the hard way." Gohan said, his voice still flat. His eyes were shining with smoldering anger and grief.  
  
"If it had been ten to one, or even fifty to one, we might have stood a chance. But not even Vegeta could fight a thousand at once. And that's how many there was, Dad, a thousand, and they kept making more. If not for Dende, we would have died right there on Earth like all the others. He kept healing us, although sometimes I can't help but think it would have been better if we too had died that day."  
  
Not used to hearing such pessimism from his usually optimistic son, Goku drifted closer to Gohan, trying to comfort him. But Gohan would have none of it.  
  
"But the only thing that mattered then was taking as many of them with us as we could. We were linked in the desire to destroy, united in purpose. I know now why that was. We were a getting ready to destroy the planet itself. Vegeta's plan was to use the explosion to take out all of the Furies in one fell swoop, to deny them their captives at least, and to put the tortured souls of our loved ones to rest."  
  
"What happened?" Goku asked his voice subdued.  
  
Shrugging, Gohan resumed his journey to his new home, with Goku following. "Kibbito-shin appeared and grabbed Trunks, Dende and Goten then disappeared again. I remember thinking that at least some of us should survive, and was glad it was them. Vegeta didn't notice. All he cared about destroying them, and I was right there with him. Then Kibbito-shin came back. He grabbed my hand, and for an instant I actually tried to push him away. But he wouldn't let go. He called to Vegeta."  
  
2 Vegeta, grab my hand! Now!  
  
"But Vegeta wouldn't listen, he just kept fighting. So he teleported me back to his world and left me there, with the others."  
  
Gohan paused, and then went on. "For a few minutes, all I could think of was that I had been denied my revenge. Then Kibbito-shin came back with Vegeta, and all hell broke loose. I honestly thought he would try to destroy Kaio-shins' planet. But then, and I don't know how he did it, but the old Kaio-shin managed to grab hold of Vegeta. Vegeta was about to blast him to kingdom come anyway, but Kaio-shin started talking to him in a low voice. I don't know what he said, but Vegeta just kept shaking his head. The old man kept talking. I don't know how long, but it seemed like a very long time. Finally, I saw Vegeta nod."  
  
Gohan went silent again. Goku flying at his side, trying to process what he had been told. After a while, the younger Saiyan spoke. "After that, Vegeta walked off to the edge of a cliff and stood there for about four days. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep, and he just stared off into space. Not knowing what else to do, the rest of us stayed with him, but he didn't acknowledge us, even Trunks. Finally, he turned around and told us that we were to start preparing for war. Just like that." Gohan said. "This is what we have been doing for the last seven years, Dad. Fighting a never- ending war against a nightmare."  
  
Goku saw the anguish in his son's black eyes. Some rare parental instinct welled up inside of him, and he tried to comfort Gohan. "It will be ok, son," he started, when nearly jumped back when Gohan savagely interrupted him.  
  
"No! Don't you dare say that to me, Dad! This is not some stupid movie where we are all fighting some single all-powerful monster. We have not been sitting around; getting our butts kicked waiting for you to show up and pull some lame move out of your ass to kill this monster. We won't be going home and celebrating afterward! There is no home to go back to! There is no one to celebrate with! Dammit Dad, you just don't get it. There are too many of them, they just keep coming and coming."  
  
Goku tried to calm his son down. But now Gohan was in full rant. Emotions that had been smoldering for years burst into the forefront once again.  
  
"And these things, they don't stop! They never stop! They will never stop! They use the materials they take from each planet they attack to make more of themselves. Even as we sit here, talking, they are out there, making more and more. It will never stop! Not until they have destroyed the entire galaxy." Gohan's voice rose until he was shouting. Tears ran unchecked down his cheeks. Realizing he lost control he turned away, wiping ineffectually at the tears that kept coming. He bowed his head, feeling the gentle weight of a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry, son," Goku whispered.  
  
Gohan shook his head, unable to speak. His throat was still clogged with the pain and rage and even some humiliation, because when he saw his father standing there at the Halls of Judgment, part of him actually did hope that Goku would be able to pull some spectacular move out of his ass and defeat the Furies and the rogue A.I.s that created them. Because part of him still believed that his father was invincible. But that part was very, very small and the part that knew just what it was they were fighting was so very large.  
  
Eventually, Gohan drew in a shaky breath and turned around to face his father. "Its not your fault, Dad. You didn't know. If it is anyone's fault, its Freiza's."  
  
"How so?" Goku asked, surprised at the apparent non-sequeter.  
  
"You know that the Tsufuru-jin created the Super Saiyans, right?" Gohan asked. Seeing Goku's nod, he explained. "They designed them specifically to battle the Furies. If it weren't for Freiza and his megalomania, there would have been an entire army of Saiyans fighting this war, instead of a single Saiyan prince," Gohan finished bitterly.  
  
"Vegeta fights alone." Goku had known that, not sure how he had known, but he knew it. But something puzzled him. "What about Trunks and Goten? What about you?" Goku asked innocently.  
  
Gohan smiled, bitter and hurt. "We help where we can, Dad. But this isn't like anything we've fought before. Vegeta does the actual fighting. He is the only one strong enough to face the sheer numbers they travel in. And let's face it, the only one ruthless enough to kill them without reservation. Anyone of them might be Mom, or Videl, or Pan. I don't think I could kill them, Dad. Even if they are suffering." Gohan looked away. "I have to leave it to Vegeta. Trunks and Goten can't be spared for Gotenks, because they are constantly scouting, looking for where Polaner might strike next. It has to be them, because they are pack-bonded with Vegeta. If they find any sign of the Furies, they can let him know immediately. There are a billion stars in this galaxy and we can't sense their presence."  
  
Goku thought that over. They couldn't use technology to help them detect the Furies, and their own senses were unable to locate them as well. He swallowed hard. He hadn't realized the full extent of the danger that his sons and friends were facing. Or the overwhelming odds against them. Gohan was right, he hadn't understood the full extent of the horror that the other Saiyans were battling to overcome.  
  
Realizing the Gohan was speaking again, Goku pulled away from his thoughts.  
  
"And to make matters worse, we don't know where Polaner is exactly."  
  
"You don't?" Goku asked, stunned.  
  
Gohan shrugged. "We have a general idea, but like I said, the galaxy is more vast than anything you can imagine. There is no Tsufuru-jin left to give us the exact location. And its not like we can just drop everything and search. The Furies are constantly attacking populated worlds, which cry to us to protect them. So not only do we have to find and fight an undetectable enemy, we have to figure out where it is coming from and prevent it from destroying more worlds in the process. Not to mention that the rest of the galaxy thinks they have a say in what happens as well."  
  
"It all sounds so complicated," Goku complained.  
  
"It is. On the plus side though, we are not losing ground as fast as we used to. Lord Enma has given Piccolo and Radditz special leave to come and go from Hell in order to help. They've been combing Hell, looking for any Tsufuru-jin that know the coordinates for Polaner. But I think most of them are still alive somehow, living in never-ending horror that they themselves created. If there are any dead, and you know how huge Hell is, it takes time, not to mention how uncooperative most of the inhabitants are. The old Kaio-shin and myself are working with them and Dende has been trying to keep the galactic governments from falling apart completely. Kibbito-shin is busy ferrying Vegeta, Trunks and Goten around on their missions. There are so few of us Dad. Vegeta has been bearing the brunt of it. We all look to him for leadership," Gohan added with a touch of quiet pride. Proud of his heritage, and the last Saiyan who represented them.  
  
"I can't wait to see him again," Goku said enthusiastically. "And Trunks and Goten, too."  
  
"He'll be back soon, so you won't have to wait long. But we'd better hurry, I have to compile this data before he gets back." Gohan took off flying once again.  
  
Goku blinked at his son. More convinced than ever that he made the right decision; the Saiyan took off after Gohan. He would help to defeat Polaner.  
  
He swore it on the now dead world that he had given his life over and over to protect.  
  
TBC  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
See A Killer in Me now archived at Stormy's page. http://stormyfics.homestead.com/ 


	3. More Familiar Faces

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Warnings: Violence, swearing, violence and more violence

Ratings R (just because)

The Defiants

Chapter 2

Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true 

  -Old  Earth proverb

Gohan and Goku arrived at Kaio-shin's planet. Their appearance was noted but not remarked upon by the beings that were running around doing things that they considered to be important. There were a lot of people there; some of them dead, but a surprising amount were alive. There were several buildings of unknown design, but Gohan did not enter any of them. Instead he led Goku to a large, open area covered with a thick carpet of green grass. Goku scanned the area, looking for any familiar face, but every being he saw looked even stranger than the last. He grinned at a large group of wiry lizards padding awkwardly by on their hind legs, tails held stiffly behind them for balance. They were about three feet tall, gray and wearing aprons that read 'Hail to the Prince'. Each of them was carrying a large knife and a cooking pot.

"Who are they?" he asked, pointing.

Gohan glanced up from the stack of papers. "They are the Komodos. Vegeta saved their planet about two years ago from the Furies. They were so grateful, they insisted on sending a delegation to become his personal servants. From what I here, the position was fought over with a lot of enthusiasm." 

"What did Vegeta say?" Goku wondered, curling his tail up behind him like a question mark.

Gohan chuckled softly.  "I've never seem Vegeta at such a loss. They followed him everywhere, getting in the way with all of their 'helping'. So in an effort to avert tragedy, Trunks suggested that they cook for us, as a way of helping. They fell all over themselves learning to cook; unfortunately their idea of food wasn't exactly on the same wavelength as the rest of us. But the funny thing was that no matter what they made, Vegeta would eat it. I'm glad to say, their cooking has improved quite a bit and they worship Vegeta more than ever."

Goku stared in interest at the bustling Komodos, his head cocked to the side.  They were setting up a large, open pit fire by the looks of it.  

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Vegeta must be coming back."

"How do you know?"

Gesturing at the busy pack of lizards, he said, "They always start making enough food to feed an army, or just Vegeta. I'm not sure who could eat more. Somehow they always know when he's about to come back. Don't ask me how they know, they just do."

"Great! I'm starving!" Goku said with enthusiasm. "I haven't eaten in such a long time!" As if bearing witness to the truth of his statement, his stomach growled loudly.

Laughing, Gohan slapped his father on the back. "It will be a little while yet, they have a lot of food to make," he told a disappointed Goku.

"Hey, Gohan!" a familiar voice hailed them.

Turning, Goku grinned broadly, seeing Trunks striding towards them. "Hey, Trunks!"

Vegeta's son had grown and filled out since the last time Goku had seen him. He stood almost as tall as Gohan, but not as muscular, more wiry.  His ice blue eyes widened when he saw who was standing beside Gohan. Trunks' hand, which had been raised in greeting, fell limply to his side as he stared at Goku as if the Saiyan had grown a third head.

"G-Goku?" he croaked, trying to affirm what his eyes were telling him.

"Trunks! Good to see you again," Goku greeted his cheerfully, as if it had only been a few days since they'd seen each other last. Well, for Goku it seemed like it, as for Trunks…

"Oh, my god! Goku. Is it you?" Trunks asked, absently brushing some long, purple strands of hair from his face. The rest was tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Gohan answered before Goku could. "Yes, he came back to help us," he said.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Trunks broke into a huge grin. He looked nothing like the pampered boy who had headed the Capsule Corporation several years ago. Gone was the cheesy scarf and khakis. And gone was the innocence that he had retained in this timeline. Now more than ever he looked like his father, the scowl creases between his eyes, and his lips were now more prone to sneering rather than smiling. In fact, he now looked just like Mirai Trunks. CC Jacket and all. Except for one major difference.

Waving behind him was a long furry tail. Instead of the reddish brown that Goku and Vegeta sported, however, Trunks' tail was a more silvery brown.

"Hey Trunks, you have a tail!" Goku exclaimed in wonder.

With a smirk that had patented by his father, Trunks said, "Your powers of observation are truly stunning, Goku."

Goku grinned, and then it faded slightly as he tried to remember who had said that to him before. It had been a long time ago. Shrugging, Goku scratched the back of his head. "Its just that I had never seen you with a tail before," he said.

"I've had it for a couple of years. Father suggested that it be regenerated to increase my power."

"Did it?" Goku asked.

Trunks nodded, this time a genuine smile flitted across his lips. "Oh yeah!" Then he remembered why he had sought Gohan out in the first place.  He turned to Gohan. "The Grand Kai is calling an open assembly of all the Galactic Governments and he wants us to come. The Kais, the old Kaio-shin and Kibbito-shin are going to be there too."

Rolling his eyes, it was Gohan's turn to sneer, looking not unlike Vegeta. Goku wonder absently if all the demi-Saiyans had picked up Vegeta's favorite facial expressions. "Oh, god. What now?"

Trunks shrugged. "Who knows, but he insists that we all show up. And that means Vegeta too."

Breathing out in annoyance, Gohan jammed a hand through his black hair. "He's gonna love that. Have you heard from Vegeta yet?"

Shaking his head, Trunks grinned evilly. "Not a word, but Kibbito-shin thinks he is finishing up. He should be ready to come back at any time. At least if he shows up, you know the meeting won't be boring."

Snickering, Gohan nodded. "Especially after fighting for a straight week.  Can you imagine the mood he's going to be in? Are you still taking bets on whether or not he'll end up killing the South Kai?"

His grin turning even eviler, Trunks nodded, "Want me to put you down for some?"

"Maybe later. Will Goten make it?"

"He said he'd try to meet us there. He wanted to finish checking out sector 23."

"Ok, well. Lets get going. C'mon Dad."

Goku looked longingly at the blazing fire, and the crates of food that was being set up nearby. "But I'm hungry," he protested.

"It will take a while for them to prepare it. In the meantime, lets go see what's going on." He grabbed Goku by the arm and dragged him away, with Trunks trailing along behind them, looking thoughtful. Goku was back; he wondered what his father's reaction would be. There was no way of knowing what the Saiyan prince would do when he found out. There was no person in the entire galaxy more unpredictable than Vegeta. Privately, he thought this might be the best thing in the world to happen to his father. He had sensed for a while now, a sort of restlessness in Vegeta, a feeling that bordered on…not boredom, but a need for a change. 

Well, with Goku around, it was a sure bet that things would change.

Vegeta drifted down to the snow-covered surface to the planet, breathing heavily. He was bleeding from countless wounds, and exhaustion tugged at his quivering muscles. But he was alive. That was more than his enemies could claim, not that they could make that particular claim in the first case. Slowly, he began to release his Super Saiyan form, letting the energy bleed out slowly, much like his wounds.

Long coils of thick black smoke rose in the distance, pushed to the side by the icy winds that blew continually across the snow swept landscape. His enemies, the Furies were now reduced to mere scraps for the native inhabitants of this planet to use as they saw fit. If there were any left alive after the long battle that had taken place on and above the battered world, that was.

He tried to remember how long the fight had lasted, and was mildly surprised that he couldn't. More than three days, that he was sure about because he remembered fighting at night and at least two different bloodstained sunrises. He had learned to fight at night; the dark gray exteriors of the metal monsters were all but impossible to see. It had been a brutal lesson, one that he still bore the scars from, but he had figured it out. By now, he could fight by day or night without even having to differentiate between the two.

 As he continued to power down, his hair melting back into rich chocolate brown, he rubbed a hand over his stinging eyes. Ice and grit from days of fighting the nightmare machines of Polaner had accumulated until he could hardly see. His tail loosened from around his waist and drooped behind him. His muscles, trembling with exhaustion and injuries were barely able to support his weight, which was considerably less than what he had carried when he had lived on earth. In fact, his body was once again slender, like how he had been while working for Freiza in his youth. Vegeta had been forced to sacrifice muscle mass for speed. It was the best advantage he had over the Furies. And Vegeta was not one to waste any advantage. Then he sank to the ground, sitting Indian-style as his blood leaked from various wounds and pooled on the snow beneath him.

Ignoring it, the Saiyan prince listened to the quiet that was only broken by the whisper of the wind around him. He knew he should inform Trunks of his victory, but he wanted to just sit for a while. It was one of the very, very few times that he allowed himself to let down. To not think. To not feel. Just let himself go numb. 

Despite his efforts, his thoughts refused to slow down.  There had been something nagging in the back of his mind for a while now, and it was beginning to bother him.  He frowned, feeling the drying blood on his cheek crack with the movement.  For seven years he had fought the Furies. A seemingly all-powerful enemy that challenged him to the limits of his skills. Here he was, a Saiyan prince, given endless life, thanks to the gene-techs of the Tsufuru-jin, with a ferociously strong enemy that he could fight for eternity. All the beings in the known universe acknowledged him as the strongest warrior, and respected him. Years ago, this was exactly what he would have wished for, given the chance, and the Dragonballs. It turned out that he didn't need the Dragonballs to attain his fondest dream. Fate had already slated it for him. He should have been the happiest Saiyan ever born.

Instead, he found himself increasingly bored and restless.  With a slight stirring of anger, Vegeta snarled softly to himself. He was unable to figure out what was wrong with him. He wasn't like this before, and he knew exactly where to place the blame. 

Planet Earth.

Before he came to Earth, his life had been so simple. Definitely not easy, but straightforward.  He had a single purpose, (killing Freiza) then taking the lizard's place as strongest warrior in the universe. Not too much to ask for. Then came that moment when he learned of the Dragonballs, and Earth.  Things got complicated from there.  Namely, he started interacting with other beings, and it affected him, much to his chagrin. 

He started experiencing emotions. Not that he had been without them before. But this was different. Before, all he knew was anger, contempt, sadistic amusement and pride. Then he met the earthlings, and Kakkarott. After that, new emotions forced their way to the surface. Feelings like he had never known that could exist in a Saiyan, let alone their prince. These new feelings, these gentler emotions that at the same time were more powerful then he could have ever believed. For people whom he should have felt nothing but contempt. Bulma, Bra (a twinge of grief, quickly suppressed) Trunks, even Kakkarott and his brats, he had feelings for all of them.             

Shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear those disturbing thoughts, Vegeta sighed, the icy winds cooling in his lungs.  Deciding he was getting nowhere, and his injuries were making themselves more pronounced with every minute, he focused inward, back down into the depths of his mind where a few very precious threads still resided. Instinctively he touched one of the bright threads, glowing with the slightest hint of purple.

'Trunks' 

Not even three heartbeats passed before there was an answer. _"Hey Dad! How's it going?"_

_'Hn, I'm done here. Tell Kibbito-shin to pick me up.'_

_"Very well. Are you ok?"_

_'I'll live'.  _Vegeta could not convince his son that inquires into his health were pointless. The boy still worried about him. That was another aspect of feelings that still Vegeta had a hard time fathoming. That gentler feelings directed toward himself were possible as well.

_"OK, Dad. I'll tell him. Oh, yeah. The Grand Kai is calling a meeting. He wants you to report as soon as you get back."_

_'Dammit, tell him to stick it in his holy ass! I'm tired and hungry. Didn't they learn anything the last time?'_  Vegeta thought, annoyed.

Something suspiciously like a snicker could be felt coming from his son. _"Guess not. Word has it the galleries are packed already."_

Vegeta rolled his eyes. His reports to the Kais always drew a crowd. Trunks had informed him that after last time, they were taking bets on whether Vegeta would blast one of the Kais to the next life, and how many would go with. Of course, Kakkarott had already taken out one of the four. But that still left three more…and the Grand Kai as well._ 'What makes him think that I will even go to his stupid meeting?' _

_"He really wants you to show up. I guess that something really big has come up, and he needs you"._

_'Did you put a wager on me?'_

_"Of course!"_

_'Hn, it'd better be a big one, because I'm in no mood for their bickering.'_

Again, that feeling of Trunks' laughing. He liked to hear, or feel it. He and Trunks had grown closer over the years, as had Goten and Gohan. It was as if it were the Saiyans against the rest of the universe. Vegeta would bet on the four of them every time.

_"Kibbito-shin will be there soon, Dad."_

_'Whatever'_

_"See you soon, Dad. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There is a surprise here for you."_

Growl.  '_I hate surprises, boy.'_

_"I know. Talk to you in a little bit"._

Vegeta grunted in annoyance as Trunks closed the link abruptly. "Brat," he muttered with some affection.

For long minutes he sat, staring at the frozen waste of the unnamed planet, when a loud **_Poof!_** of displaced air announced the arrival of Kibbito-shin. His white hair blew in the icy wind. The young god shivered and stared at the seemingly unaffected prince. His eyes widened at the pool of blood soaking into the snow around Vegeta.

"Vegeta, are you hurt?" he asked.

 Vegeta got stiffly to his feet; the fur on his tail was coated in snow and ice, making it stick together in a very annoying way. "I'm fine," he grunted.

Kibbito-shin didn't pursue it. Instead he asked, "Did Trunks tell you that the Kais are meeting?"

Sneering, Vegeta nodded. "Yes, lets go there directly. I want to get this over with."

Taking a look at the torn, bloodstained, snow covered prince, Kibbito-shin didn't argue. Sighing quietly, he reminded himself that Vegeta wasn't being disrespectful on purpose. He just didn't believe in being in awe of anyone. "Okay," he said and placing a hand on the prince's shoulder, teleported them out.

Goku stared in awe at the huge stadium the housed the meeting place of the Kais. A raised dais in the center of the stadium held large, ornate desks and swivel chairs, each for a different Kai. There were microphones on each desk. The gods themselves hadn't appeared yet, but there were many other beings there milling around. Goku had never seen such a diverse gathering of aliens in one place before except for the Tournament of the Dead. But though there were many dead, there were equally as many alive.

"What is this place?" he asked Gohan who was scanning the area for Goten.

"I guess you could call its our general Headquarters, no one has ever got around to actually naming it," Gohan replied. 

"Who are all these people?" Goku asked, still rubbernecking like crazy, trying to take in all the strange, new sights.

"The galactic governments, the lesser gods, plus the usual assortment of dead people who have nothing better to do. The Kais are too busy to hold any more Tournaments, so the dead who aren't in Heaven, or Hell hang out here and gossip. Vegeta says they are nosy and should get to where they are going. And then you have the usual assortment of hangers ons and toadies." Gohan said.

"I see," Goku said. Trunks waved them over to where he had grabbed an area of stone risers, enough for the four of them, and nearly coming to blows with some sort of octopus-type being who also claimed it. Trunks won in the end and they all sat down and waited. Goku stirred restlessly, still looking around. "When is going to start? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Dad," Gohan told him. "Just be patient. Hey Goten!" he waved to his younger brother and pointed to an empty space next to him. 

 The younger Son waved back and pushed his way through the aliens milling around, earning black looks that he was blissfully oblivious to. "Gohan! Here to see the fireworks…urk!" he trailed off when he saw who was sitting beside his brother.  "Dad?" he asked, his black eyes wide.

"Hey, Goten! How are you?" Goku asked, smiling. His gaze swept over his younger son. Goten had grown until he stood as tall as Gohan, but had more muscle mass, making him appear bigger. His black hair was longer, tending to spike up like Goku's hair. But he no longer had Goku's wide-eyed look of wonder. He had seen too much devastation and horror. His dark eyes had the same scowl lines the others had. On his cheek, there was a large, red scar. And wrapped around his waist was a furry, reddish brown tail

"Wow! Goten, you have a tail too!" Goku exclaimed enthusiastically. "This is great!" 

Goten gaped like a fish out of water for a second, glancing at Gohan, who shrugged helplessly. Looking back at his father, he decided to accept the situation without questions. Goten said, "Thanks, Dad. It's good to see you too," he said with a faint touch of sarcasm. "When did you get here?"

"Piccolo and I found him wandering around Enma's place," Gohan said before Goku could answer. 

"What happened to your face, Goten?" Goku asked.

Goten shrugged with seeming uncaring. "I got it when we fought the Furies on Earth." At first, Goten hated that scar, resenting the memories that accompanied it every time he looked into the mirror. Then one day, a year or so after Earth's destruction, Goten bumped into Vegeta, whom he hadn't seen in a while. Both of them had been busy, Goten with his scouting, and Vegeta with his fighting. The small prince glanced up at Goten and scowled suddenly. Thinking that Vegeta was mad at him, Goten blushed and looked down.  

"I see you let your hair grow," Vegeta remarked.

"Yeah," Goten answered, still looking at his toes.

Vegeta snorted. "With that scar and your hair like that, you look exactly like your grandfather Bardock."

Eyes wide, Goten looked up into Vegeta's dark eyes. "You mean that?"

Smirking, Vegeta nodded. "Of course. He was one of the strongest Saiyan warriors alive before Vegetasei blew up. Even is he was a third class." Turning his back and walking away, the prince paused and turned his head to the side. "It suits you."

From that day one, Goten was proud of the scar on his face.

Seeing his father sitting there beside Gohan, Goten wasn't sure what to think. He loved his father, he supposed. But the man just hadn't been interested in his family, except to spar. Dull resent flared through him, and he quickly suppressed it. He sat down on the other side of Gohan, beside Trunks. "Is Vegeta coming?" he asked hopefully. He had placed a bet with Trunks too.

Trunks shrugged. "I think so, I hope so."

They were joined by yet another familiar face. This time it was the wizened, wrinkled face of the old Kaio-shin, fifteen generations back. "Well, well, well," he said, trying to hide his astonishment at seeing the wayward Saiyan once again.

"It's a deep subject," Trunks quipped. Goten and Gohan sniggered while Goku looked blank.

Ignoring Trunks, the old Kaio-shin said to Goku, "Good to see you again, Goku. Too bad you had to come back during such terrible times."

Shrugging, Goku smiled. "That's why I came back, to help."

Then Trunks stood up and placing a hand on the old Kaio-shin's arm, drew him away from the rest of the Z fighters. After speaking quietly, with a shit-eating grin on his face and a handful of cash, Trunks got a nod from the elder god. Then they came back to the others. Trunks ignored Goten's questioning look, as he was looking most self-satisfied.

"Say, Goku," the elder god said casually, "those clothes really aren't you. Would you like me to whip up an outfit like the others?" he offered.

Clueless, Goku grinned in excitement. "Sure! That would be great!"

Holding his hands up, Kaio-shi fifteen generations back began to mutter to himself. The abruptly Goku's outfit, the blue tunic and the tan breeches disappeared and were replaced by an outfit identical to Gohan's and Goten's. Except for one small difference.

Nodding in satisfaction, the old god left to take his seat. Goten leaned over and whispered to Trunks. "What was that all about?"

Trunks just looked smug. Goten wanted to hit him, and repressed the urge. Trunks was notorious for all types of practical jokes. Goten was just happy he wasn't the butt of this one.  Goku, in the meantime was admiring his new outfit. "Wow, this is great," he said again, standing up and turning around to show it off to the others.

Goten's eyes widened and Trunks' elbow dug into his ribs. Seeing the warning look, Goten smothered a laugh. Changing the laugh to a cough, he leaned forward, his face turning red from the strain.

"Are you all right, Goten?" Goku asked, oblivious.

Gohan, who had been studying his papers, had missed the whole thing. He looked at his strangling brother in concern. "Are you ok?"

Nodding, Goten thumped his chest. Gasping, he croaked, "I'm fine, just swallowed wrong."

Trunks winked and Goten marveled at the other demi-Saiyan's ability to keep a straight face. At that time, the light flared brighter for a second, then dimmed again.

The Meeting was about to begin. 

TBC


End file.
